52 



NA TURE 



[November 8, 1900 



properties of 7-phenylhycIantoin, phenyl-methyl-hydantoin, 

 phenyl-ethyl-hydantoin, phenyl-isobutyl-hydantoin, and phenyl- 

 benzyl-hydantoin.— On the regeneration of a confined volume 

 of air by means of sodium peroxide, by M. George F. 

 Joubert. — On the gaseous exchanges between plants and the 

 atmosphere, by M. Th. Schloesing, junr. An extension of 

 previous work on the same subject to plants growing in soils 

 containing ammonia salts as the only available source of 

 nitrogen, and free from the nitrifying organism. — A case of 

 rapid transformation of wood into a substance resembling a 

 combustible fossil, by M. G. Arth. — On the examination of 

 . contaminated waters for cystine, by M. M. Molinie. The author 

 has repeated the experiments of M. Causse on this subject, and 

 finds that the reagent proposed as a test for cystine gives a per- 

 manent orange coloration, not removable by sulphurous acid, 

 . even in distilled water. Further examination of the reaction 

 showed that the tint is produced only when the test solution has 

 an acid reaction. The test would thus appear not to be a 

 characteristic one for cystine. — On a new sporozoa from the 

 larvEe of Diptera, by M. Louis Leger. — Precocity and sexual 

 periodicity in man, by M. Gustave Loisel. An attempt to 

 explain the phenomenon of sexual periodicity by the periods in 

 the evolution of spermatogenesis in man and the higher verte- 

 brates. 



New South Wales. 

 Royal Society, August 8. — The President, Prof. Liversidge, 

 F.R S., in the chair. — The President announced that the third 

 science lecture of the Royal Society of New South Wales' 

 series for 1900, viz. a Study of the Mechanics of the Human 

 Frame-work, by Prof. T. P. Anderson Stuart, would be given in 

 the Royal Society's House on August 22. — The following papers 

 were read : Notes on rack railways, by C. O. Burge. — On the 

 damage done to the Seal Rocks lighthouse by lightning on 

 July 10, by C. W. Darley. The author said that the lighthouse 

 tower was fitted with a solid copper lightning conductor extend- 

 ing half round, and was attached at the top to the copper roof 

 of the lantern. The electricity evidently entered the vane on 

 top of the lantern dome, the end being bent and fused, and 

 thence passed down the lightning rod. A portion of the current 

 was communicated to the electric bell wires on the middle floor. 

 These wires led to the principal and assistant light- keepers' 

 quarters, and were laid underground in a i-inch iron pipe for a 

 distance of 300 feet. The current had tried to make earth at 

 three places, for the pipe was burst and the earth above blown 

 away. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, November 8. 

 Mathematical Societv, at 5.30. — Annual General Meeting. — On the 

 Transmission of Force through a Solid: Lord Kelvin, G.C.V.O. — In a 

 Simple Group of an Odd Composite Order every System of Conjugate 

 Operators or Sub-groups includes more than Fifty : Dr. G. A. Miller. — 

 Prime Functions on a Riemann Surface : Prof. A. C. Dixon, (i) Further 

 Note on Isoscelians ; (ii) On Two In-triangles which are similar to the 

 Pedal Triangle : R. Tucker. — (i) A General Congruence Theorem relating 

 to the Bernoullian Function ; (ii) On the Residues of BernouUian Functions 

 for a Prime Modulus, including as Special Cases the Residues of the 

 Eulerian Numbers and the I-numbers : Dr. Glaisher, F.R.S. — On Green's 

 Function for a Circular Disc : H. S. Carslaw. — On the Real Points of 

 Inflexion of a Curve: A. B. Basset. F.R.S. — On Quantitative Substi- 

 tutional Analysis : A.Young. — On a Class of Pl.ine Curves : J. H. Grace. 

 — On Group Characteristics, and on some Properties of Groups of Odd 

 Order : Prof. Burnside, F.R.S. 



Institution of Klectrical Engineers, at 8. — Inaugural Address : 

 Prof. J. Perry, F.R.S. 



FRIDAY, November 9. 



Royal Astronomical Society, at 8. — Observations of Nebulx made at 

 the Chamberlin Ob.servatory, University Park, Colorado : Prof. H. A. 

 Howe. — On the Appearance of Saturn's Crape Ring in 1900 : E. M. 

 Antoniadi. — Observations of Jupiter and his Satellites made at Mr. 

 Crossley's Observatory, Bermerside, Halifax, 1899-1900 : J. Gledhill.— 

 Photographic Measures of the Ring Nebula in Lyra and of the Neigh- 

 bouring Faint Stars : F. P. Leavenworth. — (i) Ephemeris for Physical 

 Observations of the Moon for 1901 ; (2) Note on the Moon's Eclipse Dia- 

 meter : A. C. D. Crommelin.— The Occultation of Saturn, 1900 September 

 3 : Rev. S. J. Johnson.— Variable Stars in Star Clusters : A. W. Bicker- 

 ton. — On the Disappearance from Photographic Films of Star Images, 

 and their Recovery by a Chemical Process : Isaac Roberts. -Note on the 

 Total Eclip.se of the Sun, iqoo May 28, obseived at Algiers : Rev. C. D. 

 P. Davies.— Micrometric Measures of the Diameter of Neptune and 

 Satellite made with the i28-inch Refractor : Royal Observatory, Green- 

 wich Probable Papers : Stationary Meteor Radiants : an Alternative 



Explanation : H. H. Turner.— Photographic Observations of the Planet 

 Eros : a Close Approach to a Small Star : F. A. Bellamy.— On the Vari- 

 able Velocity of a Persei : H. F. Newall.— On the System of -^ Herculis 

 as deduced from Micrometric Measures and Meridian Observations : T. 

 Lewis.— Kineinatograph Photographs of the Total Solar Eclipse of 1900 

 May 28 : Nevil Maskelyne. 



NO. I 61 9, VOL. 63] 



Physical Society, at 5. — Electromotive Force and Osmotic Pressure: Dr. 

 R. A. Lehfeldt. — On Astigmatic Lenses : R. J. Sowter. — (a) On a Phase- 

 turning Apparatus for use with Electrostatic Voltmeters ; (b) On a 

 Method of Measuring Power in Alternate-Current Circuits ; (c) Note on 

 obtaining Alternating Currents and Voltages in the same Phase for Fic- 

 titious Loads : A. Campbell. — On the Refraction of Sound by Wind : 

 Dr. E. H. Barton. 



Malacological Society, at 8. —Morphological and Descriptive Notes 

 on the Genus Cryptof>lax : H. A. Pilsbry. — Notes on a Remarkable 

 Nudibranch from N.W. America: Sir Charles Eliot. — On the Anatomy 

 of some Agnathous Molluscs from New Zealand: R. Murdoch. — Fate of 

 the Type Specimen of Vohita Roadknighiae, McCoy : W. Baldwin 

 Spencer. 



MONDAY, November 12. ' 



Royal Geographical Society, at 8.30. — Introductory Address : The 

 President. — Expedition through Somaliland and between Lake Rudolf 

 and the Nile : Dr. A. Donaldson Smith. 



TUESDA Y, November 13. 



Institution OF Civil Engineers, at 8.— The Metropolitan Terminus of 

 the Great Centi^al Railway : George A. Hobson and E. Wragge. 



.VIin'Eralogical .Society, at 8. — Anniversary Meeting. — An Improved 

 Form of Three-Circle Goniometer: G. F. H. Smith. — A Simple Pioof of 

 the Rationality of the Anharmonic Ratio of Four Faces of a Zone : 

 Harold Hilton. — Sulpharsenites of Lead from the Binnenthal. Part II. 

 Rathite : R. H. Solly. 



THURSDAY, November 15. 



Royal Society, at 4.30. — The following Papers will probably be read: 

 Further Note on the Spectrum of Silicium : Sir Norman Lockyer. F.R.S. 

 — On Solar Changes of Temperature and Variations in Rainfall in the 

 Region Surrounding the Indian Ocean : Sir Norman Lockyer, F.R.S., 

 and Dr. W. J. S. Lockyer. — Argon and its Companions : Prof. W. 

 Ramsay. F.R.S. — Data for the Problem of Evolution in Man. VI. A 

 First Study of the Correlation of the Human Skull : Dr. Alice Lee and 

 Prof. K. Pearson, F.R.S. — Mathematical Contributions to the Theory of 

 Evolution. IX. On the Principle of Homotyposis and its Relation to 

 Heredity, to the Variability of the Individual and to that of the Race. 

 Part I. Homotyposis in the Vegetable Kingdom : Prof. K. Pearson, 

 F.R.S.— On Retinal " Blaze" Currents: Dr. Waller, F.R.S. 



LiNNEAN Society, at 8. — Contributions to the Comparative Anatomy 01 

 the Cycadaceae : W. C. Worsdell. — On a New Parasitic Copepod : Miss 

 Alice L. Embleton. 



Chemical Society, at 8.— The Bases contained in Scottish Shale Oil: 

 F. C. Garrett and Dr. J. A. Smythe. 



FRIDAY, November 16. 



Institution of Mechanical Engineers, at 8. — Capacity of Railway 

 Waggons as affecting Cost of Transport : D. Twinberrow. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 



Science and Pseudo-Science 25 



A New Text-Book on Sound. By E. E 26 



Geology and Practice. By Prof. Grenville A. J. Cole 27 

 Our Book Shelf:— 



Papperitz : " Die Mathematik an den Deutschen tech- 

 nischen Hochschulen " ; Klein : " Ueber den Plan 

 eines physikalisch-technischen Instituts an der Uni- 

 versitat Gottingen " ; "Die Anforderungen der In- 

 genieure und die Ausbildung der mathematischen 



Lehramtskandidaten." — G 28 



Jackson: "A Glossary of Botanic Terms with their 



Derivation and Accent " 28 



Livi : " Antropometria " 28 



Maclean: "Elementary Questions in Electricity and 



Magnetism " . 28 1 



Letters to the Editor:— 



Secondary Sexual Characters. — ^J. T. Cunningham . 29 

 The Value of the Cylinder Function of the Second Kind 



for Small Arguments. — W. B. Morton 29 fl 



Mosquitoes and Diseases. — W. F. Kirby .... 29 * 

 Our Stellar System. {Illustrated) By Sir Norman j 



Lockyer, K.C.B., F.R.S 29 



The Malaria Campaign. By Dr. R. Fielding-Ould . 32 

 The Geological Survey of Great Britain and Ireland 33 



Notes 34 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



The Planet Eros 39 



Ephemeris of Comet igooi^ 39 



New Variable Stars . 39 



Astronomical Work at Dunsink Observatory . . . • 39 

 The Leonid Meteoric Shower. By W. F. Denning .39 



The Nobel Prizes for Scientific Discovery 40 



Electrical Engineering as a Trade and as a Science. 



By Prof. John Perry, F.R.S 41 



The New scientific Laboratories at King's College, 



London. {Jllustrateii.) 47 



University and Educational Intelligence 49 



Scientific Serial 50 



Societies and Academies . 50 



Diary of Societies 52 



